Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Spiritual Book Club List 1999
August Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
Sept. Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
Oct. Conversations with God by Neale David Walsch
Nov. Conversations with God by Neale David Walsch
Dec. How Good Do We Have to Be? By Rabbi Harold Kushner

Spiritual Book Club List 2000
Jan. 2000 A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Feb. The Art of Happiness by The Dalai Lama
March Encountering God by Diana L. Eck
April The Cup of Our Life: A guide for Spiritual Growth by Joyce Rupp
May Everyday Simplicity: A Practical Guide to Spiritual Growth by Robert J. Wicks
June Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
July The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
August God Stories edited by C. Michael Curtis
Sept. God Stories edited by C. Michael Curtis
Oct. A Reason for Hope by Jane Goodall
Nov. A Quaker Book of Wisdom:Life Lessons in Simplicity, Service, and Common Sense by Robert Lawrence Smith
Dec. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

Spiritual Book Club List 2001
Jan. 2001 Life Lessons by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler
Feb. Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore
March Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore
April A Grace Disguised by Gerald Sittser
May Dance of the Spirit: Seven Steps of Women’s Spirituality by Maria Harris
June Dance of the Spirit: Seven Steps of Women’s Spirituality by Maria Harris
July God at the Edge: Searching for the Divine in Uncomfortable and Unexpected Places by Niles Elliot Goldstein
August Otherwise by Jane Kenyon, had a local poet come to talk about poetry and spirituality
Sept. Transitions by William Bridges
Oct. The Four Agreements: A Toltec Wisdom Book by Don Miguel Ruiz
Nov. Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O’ Donohue
Dec. Also brought in objects that reminded us of God

Spiritual Book Club List 2002
January: The Eyes of the Heart by Frederick Buechner
February: The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hahn
March: The Essential Koran translated by Thomas Cleary, guest speaker the Iman (prayer leader) from the local Islamic Center
April: The Essential Koran continued
May: The Way to Love by Anthony de Mello
June: Lying Awake by Mark Salzman
July: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
August: The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
September: The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell (continued)
October: God in the Dock by C.S. Lewis
November: When God is Silent by Barbara Brown Taylor
December: Skipping Christmas by John Gresham

Spiritual Book Club List 2003
January: Will the Circle be Unbroken Studs Terkel
February: Will the Circle be Unbroken Studs Terkel
March: Traits of a Healthy Spirituality by Melannie Svoboda
April: The Sacrament of the Present Moment by Jean-Pierre de Caussade
May: Powerful Prayers by Larry King
June: The Giver by Lois Lowry
July: Embraced by the Light by Betty J. Eadie
August: Your God is Too Small by J. B. Phillips
September: The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
October: Deposition: Poems by Katie Ford
November: Dear Heart, Come Home by Joyce Rupp
December: The Vigil by Wendy Wright

Spiritual Book Club List 2004
January Just Another Spiritual Book by Bo Lozoff
February The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
March (First time, no book club this month due to poetry reading)
April The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
May Appetites: Why Women Want by Carolyn Knapp
June: Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
July: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
August: Faith Stories: Short Fiction on theVarieties and Vagaries of Faith by C. Michael Curtis
September 12:
October 10:
November 14:
December12:

Spiritual Book Club List 2005:
January
February
March The Mantram Handbook by Eknath Easwaran
April The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
May Anatomy of the Spirit by Carolyn Myss
June: Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
July: The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Toiban
August: Breakfast at the Victory: The Mysticism of Ordinary Experience by James P. Carse
September: The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People by Jonathon Schell
October: Hope Dies Last: Keeping the Faith in Troubled Times by Studs Terkle
November: Why by Michael Shermer
December: Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Partial Spiritual Book Club List 2006
January: What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam by John Esposito. A local Muslim spokesperson Syed Tariq Gilani graciously accepted our invitation to join us in this discussion. Syed also recommends other books written by Esposito.
February: Pearl, a novel by Mary Gordon
March: Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, Shri will lead this discussion from his experiences with Hindu beliefs, life in India, etc.
April

(Will fill in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 soon)

Spiritual Book Club List 2011
January Fearless by Dr. Brenda Shoshanna
February Fearless by Dr. Brenda Shoshanna

20 Questions for Spiritual Book Club Discussions
1. Who was really moved by this book? Who really liked it? Why?
2. Who really didn’t like this book? Why?
3. What do you think the author was trying to do with this book?
4. Would you have written the book differently? Why?
5. What character(s) in the book did you most identify with?
6. What page(s) are your favorites in the book?
7. Did this book change your thinking at all? Did it change your sense of spirituality?
8. Do you look at the world differently after reading this book? Why or why not?
9. Does this book remind you of any of the other books we’ve read?
10. What links do you see, from this book, to the other books we’ve read in this group?
11. Do you think the author has addressed her/his main topic deeply enough?
12. Was there anything missing in this book that you would have liked to have seen in here?
13. What would you like to ask the author, about this book?
14. Did this book prompt you to any new action or change in your life?
15. Would you recommend this book to anyone else?
16. Is the author of this book doing anything “new?”
17. In your opinion, is this author holding true to her/his faith tradition? Why or why not?
18. Is there a sense of grace or discernment in this author’s writing?
19. What currently feels like the biggest obstacle in your faith journey, or challenge you face?
20. Anything else?